TOP MIND-BENDER MOVIES
Part 2: The Space-Time Continuum Means Nothing to These People…
8.) Vanilla Sky (2001) Cameron Crowe
Doh, I wish I could remember more about this movie. I think that was kind of the point – you just had no idea what was going on. All I remember is: 1) it starred Tom Cruise and 2) I liked it. If that’s not a mind-bender, I don’t know what is.
7.) The Butterfly Effect (2004) Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber
Hmm… speaking of which… Ashton Kutcher in a serious role. Everything about this list is just topsy-turvy. There was some sort of strange time loop weirdness going on, but it all worked really really well. Oddly enough.
6.) Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan
So, this guy has no short-term memory and tattoos everything he has to remember on his body. Oh, and he relies on these tattoos to solve his wife’s murder (the origin of his memory loss event). Oh, and time is messed up. Just don’t miss the first few minutes. Actually don’t miss anything. If you have to pee, hold it. (Or pause it, I guess. But really, if you have to pause it, I think you lack the proper commitment level for this movie.)
5.) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Charlie Kaufman/Michael Gondry
Woah. So, it was physically painful for me to rate this at No. 5. Because this is my No. 1 Favorite Film of All-Time. But, in terms of level of mindbending, I had to defer to the greater masters of the genre. Even so, it has all the Hallmarks of a Great Mindbend. Events told out of order? Check. Funky futuristic science mechanism to put a wrench in things? Check. Existential dilemma on crack? Check. Unsettling special effects and visual elements? Check. Mental time travel? Check. What’s not to love? If you knew the answer to that question, I bet you’d never remember.
4.) Being John Malcovich (1999) Charlie Kaufman/Spike Jonze
I think this could easily win the award for Weirdest Movie EVER. The plot on IMDB reads, “A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of the movie star, John Malkovich.” I rest my case. And I haven’t even TOLD you about the 7 ½ Floor Office for Little People.
3.) Inception (2010) Christopher Nolan
Oh Inception. I fully expected not to like you. But I didn’t. I didn’t like you at all. I looooooved you! I want to watch this movie over and over and over until I ‘get’ it. As EAP once said, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Indeed.
2.) Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut (2001) Richard Kelly
I cannot stress enough how important it is to watch the Director’s Cut ONLY. We made the mistake of talking up this movie and then unwittingly showing the regular cut. It was a COMPLETELY different movie. A movie that kinda blowed. The Director’s Cut though, that’s the good stuff. You’ll never look at bunnies the same again.
1.) Primer (2004) Shane Carruth
The Lay’s Potato Chip of Mindscrew Movies. I bet you can’t just watch this once. Heck, I bet you can’t sit there and not immediately watch it a second time, back-to-back. Even if you can start to wrap your head around this film, try this one on for size: the whole film start-to-finish was made for a measly $7,000. How’s that for a mindscrew?
Showing posts with label Mind-Bender Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mind-Bender Movies. Show all posts
Friday, September 10, 2010
Best Mind-Bender Movies - Part 1
TOP MIND-BENDER MOVIES
Part 1: Who did it? What’s going on? And for the Love of God, who is Keyser Söze?
10.) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro
Ofelia, in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War is faced with a cruel fascist stepfather. Thanks to her vivid imagination, Ofelia can step into the fairy realm in an attempt to regain a sense of control and meaning in her otherwise senseless life. The fact that it’s completely breathtaking is totally beside the point. In the end, the plot makes no decisions for you, though it does leave clues along the way.
9) Primal Fear (1996) William Diehl/Gregory Hoblit
So the two lead actors “phoned it in” and the director appears to have graduated from the “Law and Order” School of Ho-Hum Cinematography, but you’re not watching this film for the director or the leads (you just don’t know it yet). You’re watching the film for a completely unknown talent (at the time), Ed Norton. It’s Aaron’s world, and you’re literally hanging on every syllable.
8.) Se7en (1995) Andrew Kevin Walker/David Fincher
Is there a better villain out there than Kevin Spacey as John Doe? Possibly. But I think Spacey could hold his own against any name you tossed out. I’m not sure which was more chilling – his eyes or his smile. Either way, you know that in the end, John Doe holds all the cards.
7.) The Illusionist (2006) Neil Burger
Okay so Ed Norton vs. Paul Giamatti. Who do YOU think will win? So that was pretty much a given, but you’d still be hard-pressed to put the details together as quickly as Inspector Uhl.
6.) The Prestige (2006) Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has read his Shakespeare and understands well that the best conflicts arise from problems of knowing: who knows what and, more importantly, what DON’T they know? If you thought the Illusionist had some tricks up his sleeve, you haven’t met these two magicians.
5.) Wild Things (1998) John McNaughton
Who is sleeping with whom? Or who is ‘in bed’ with whom? Or wait, who is screwing whom? Wait, who? I thought I knew, but then I really did know, but then I didn’t, and then I was sure, and then I was just totally wrong. And I’m usually pretty good at this stuff!
4.) Fight Club (1999) Chuck Palahniuk/David Fincher
Damn the Man! We must destroy Ikea Sectionals with our manly bloody muscles to reclaim our authenticity! Or something like that. The soap thing was funny. And the effects were really neat. Even though I’m pretty sure that everyone on the planet has seen this movie, I’m not giving anything else away.
3.) The Sixth Sense (1999) M. Night Shyamalan
So this may be a cliché today and you really only ever get to watch this movie twice and then that’s it, but there’s a reason it’s a classic (and, I might add, the only decent movie M. Night ever made).
2.) The Game (1997) David Fincher
So what do you get the man who has everything? For the love of all that is sane in the universe, ANYTHING but “The Game”! (Unless you intend to buy him this movie, in which case, you have my approval) As if this movie isn’t weird enough, I spent a good portion of it going, “Have I seen that guy before? Was he the guy from Alf?” He wasn’t, but now I’m thinking maybe he was a doctor from “The Stand” or something. (No, not Michael Douglas, I know who HE is.)
1.) The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer
When my former boss Melissa found out I had not seen this film, she forced me to immediately go out and watch it. She appeared so desperate, I immediately complied. All I have to say is if you haven’t seen this movie, go out immediately and watch it. What is the matter with you?
Part 1: Who did it? What’s going on? And for the Love of God, who is Keyser Söze?
10.) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro
Ofelia, in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War is faced with a cruel fascist stepfather. Thanks to her vivid imagination, Ofelia can step into the fairy realm in an attempt to regain a sense of control and meaning in her otherwise senseless life. The fact that it’s completely breathtaking is totally beside the point. In the end, the plot makes no decisions for you, though it does leave clues along the way.
9) Primal Fear (1996) William Diehl/Gregory Hoblit
So the two lead actors “phoned it in” and the director appears to have graduated from the “Law and Order” School of Ho-Hum Cinematography, but you’re not watching this film for the director or the leads (you just don’t know it yet). You’re watching the film for a completely unknown talent (at the time), Ed Norton. It’s Aaron’s world, and you’re literally hanging on every syllable.
8.) Se7en (1995) Andrew Kevin Walker/David Fincher
Is there a better villain out there than Kevin Spacey as John Doe? Possibly. But I think Spacey could hold his own against any name you tossed out. I’m not sure which was more chilling – his eyes or his smile. Either way, you know that in the end, John Doe holds all the cards.
7.) The Illusionist (2006) Neil Burger
Okay so Ed Norton vs. Paul Giamatti. Who do YOU think will win? So that was pretty much a given, but you’d still be hard-pressed to put the details together as quickly as Inspector Uhl.
6.) The Prestige (2006) Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has read his Shakespeare and understands well that the best conflicts arise from problems of knowing: who knows what and, more importantly, what DON’T they know? If you thought the Illusionist had some tricks up his sleeve, you haven’t met these two magicians.
5.) Wild Things (1998) John McNaughton
Who is sleeping with whom? Or who is ‘in bed’ with whom? Or wait, who is screwing whom? Wait, who? I thought I knew, but then I really did know, but then I didn’t, and then I was sure, and then I was just totally wrong. And I’m usually pretty good at this stuff!
4.) Fight Club (1999) Chuck Palahniuk/David Fincher
Damn the Man! We must destroy Ikea Sectionals with our manly bloody muscles to reclaim our authenticity! Or something like that. The soap thing was funny. And the effects were really neat. Even though I’m pretty sure that everyone on the planet has seen this movie, I’m not giving anything else away.
3.) The Sixth Sense (1999) M. Night Shyamalan
So this may be a cliché today and you really only ever get to watch this movie twice and then that’s it, but there’s a reason it’s a classic (and, I might add, the only decent movie M. Night ever made).
2.) The Game (1997) David Fincher
So what do you get the man who has everything? For the love of all that is sane in the universe, ANYTHING but “The Game”! (Unless you intend to buy him this movie, in which case, you have my approval) As if this movie isn’t weird enough, I spent a good portion of it going, “Have I seen that guy before? Was he the guy from Alf?” He wasn’t, but now I’m thinking maybe he was a doctor from “The Stand” or something. (No, not Michael Douglas, I know who HE is.)
1.) The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer
When my former boss Melissa found out I had not seen this film, she forced me to immediately go out and watch it. She appeared so desperate, I immediately complied. All I have to say is if you haven’t seen this movie, go out immediately and watch it. What is the matter with you?
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